Vegan Tomato Salad with Cucumber, Avocado, Cilantro, and Lime

posted by Kalyn Denny on July 30, 2014

Vegan Tomato Salad with Cucumber, Avocado, Cilantro, and Lime is one of my favorite combinations for a summer tomato salad, and this tasty vegan salad is also easy, low-glycemic, gluten-free, and South Beach Diet friendly, and if you use an approved seasoning blend it’s Paleo and Whole 30!

This simple but perfect Vegan Tomato Salad with Cucumber, Avocado, Cilantro, and Lime is a favorite summer combination I came up with on a hot summer day in 2008, and when my former neighbor Carol stopped by I shared some with her. Carol loved this combination just as much as I did, and even though it’s a spin-off from my Summer Tomato Salad with Tuna, Avocado, Cilantro, and Lime, I decided that vegetarians were never going to look at that salad so this one deserved a post of its own.

The recipe calls for a lot of cilantro, which is no doubt one of the reasons I’m so enamored with the salad, but if cilantro is not your thing I think thinly sliced green onion would also be great. And if you’re lucky enough to have fresh garden tomatoes and cucumbers at this time of year, this salad is a perfect way to use them! I realize tomatoes are not that low in carbs, so if you’re wanting a lower-carb version of the salad, just double the cucumbers and use half as many tomatoes and it will still be absolutely delicious; enjoy!

Start by cutting up the tomatoes and letting them drain for a few minutes in a colander. (You can catch that flavorful tomato juice and use it in another recipe if you don’t want to waste it.) Dice up the avocado(s), toss with 1 tablespoon lime juice, and season with salt. Cut up the cucumber into bite-sized pieces. I peeled strips off these European cucumbers, but if you have fresh garden cucumbers peeling is definitely optional. Coarsely chop a generous amount of cilantro (or sliced green onion if you’re not a cilantro fan.) Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, Spike Seasoning (or other all-purpose seasoning blend) and Vege-Sal (or salt) to make the dressing.

Gently combine the avocado, tomatoes, and cucumber and stir in the dressing mixture. Then stir in the chopped cilantro and serve.

I would eat this for a light summer lunch, but it’s also perfect for a side dish!

Notes:

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Every ingredient in this Vegan Tomato Salad with Cucumber, Avocado, Cilantro, and Lime is perfect for the South Beach Diet, or any other low-glycemic eating plan, although you should stick to one avocado if you’re making this for South Beach. Tomatoes aren’t that low in carbs, so for a lower-carb version I would double the cucumbers and use half as many tomatoes.

Nutritional Information?
If you want nutritional information for a recipe, you can sign up for a free membership with Yummly and use the Yum button on my site to save the recipe and see the nutritional information. Another option is entering the recipe into this Recipe Nutrition Analyzer, which will calculate it for you.

Well, wuddaya know! There’s a bunch of cilantro in my fridge that needs using. And an avocado. And cucumbers (the smallish Persian ones). And tomatoes. All I need is a lime. I think I can probably snatch one from the neighbors’ tree. Perfect timing!

I am not a cilantro lover but I would eat this with parsley or basil quite happily. I wanted to say thanks for looking out for the vegetarians – I can look at recipes and think about them without the meat or fish but it is so nice not to have to do creative somersaults in my head!

Delicious salad! And I love all the ingredients, although, cilantro is extremely difficult to find in Serbia. I grow my own on the apartment balcony, but this year I had only a few plants that I already used 🙂

Thanks for your entry and for giving me opportunity to host such a wonderful event!

I am a love cilantro kind of gal. I don’t understand how my idol, the Barefoot Contessa, can despise it so. You can’t go wrong pairing it with avacado, your salad looks so healthy and refreshing. Perfect on the deck with a girlfriend and a glass of sauv blanc.

I had every intention of planting cilantro in my herb garden this year… Thinking that if I grew it myself I would have to like it.Well, we know what the road to hell ispaved with… No garden at all this year. But I still have the seeds so will try next year.In the meantime I’ll enjoy this lovely salad with parsley (that came up by itself)

Well, you know I’m one of those cilantro haters; I’d just as soon add dish detergent to my food as add cilantro! But this looks gorgeous, Kalyn. Your photo is beautiful enough to cause me to overlook the cilantro. Plus, I love that it’s vegan and contains avocado.

Made this the other day with a few adjustments due to what I had on hand. I only had 1 cucumber, but added a 2nd avocado. I didn't have any limes, so I used lemon juice. And I had 1/2 ear of grilled corn which needed using up so I added that and a can of rinsed black beans for some protein. It was delicious! I can't wait to make it with the lime juice as I just know that will be even better :O)

I never had it with cilantro. That's sounds delicious. It looks like I'll be running to the store. I can't understand why people think it's too expensive to eat healthy. It's more expensive to have bad health.

Hi Kalyn. I don't know if I left a comment in the past about this wonderful recipe. I make it often,either using it over a salad or a salsa dip. I haven't made the dressing yet because it is so good without it I don't go any further. Avocados are so good for us so it's extra special knowing that we are eating something very healthy. Thank you for posting this.